And of mister Way he is battling in the American Association Independent League for the Laredo Lemurs, recently taking a 3-1 loss to Grand Prairie. Former East High grad Madden is at Double-A Jacksonville is 1-1 with three holds and a 3.29 ERA.

Lance:

OHHHHHHH! And mister Lance Ibesate, pitcher/shortstop/base stealer/ base hit rapper, of the 2012 state champion JDHS Crimson Bears baseball team is currently in Sacramento looking at schools and doing a bit of the old ‘try outs.’ He swing through the college ranks has taken him to Washington and Oregon as well.

Ibesate said a decision will be made by the end of this month.

I hope that decision is within a day of travel or in an area where GCI has a television service of some kind.

Did you know???

A “Baltimore Chop” is a ground ball that hits in front of home plate (or off it) and takes a large hop over the infielder’s head.

“Bronx cheer” is when the crowd boos.”

An “Uncle Charlie” is a curve ball, so is a yakker.

And here is the origin of that famous phrase “Hit ‘em where they ain’t.” This rallying cry for batters through the decades since 1897 when Wee Willie Keeler hit .432. Asked how a man of his size could put together such an average, Keeler responded:

“Simple. I keep my eyes clear and I hit ‘em where they ain’t.”

On This Date In Baseball, June 8

1914 — New York’s Iron Joe McGinnity posted his 14th straight win beating Pittsburgh 2-0. With the win moved the Giants into first place over Chicago.

1927 — New York’s Tony Lazzeri hit three homers in the Yankees 12-11 11-inning win over the Chicago White Sox. Lazzeri’s first two homers come off Red Faber and his third was a two-run line drive off George Connally to tie game in the ninth inning. The Yanks were behind 11-6 going into the last inning. New York would win it in the 11th after Cedric Durst tripled Lazzeri was intentionally walked and Ray Morehart singled.

1933 — Philadelphia’s Jimmie Foxx homered in his first three at bats all off Lefty Gomez as the A’s beat the New York Yankees 14-10. Foxx had homered his last time up the previous day to tie a major league record of hitting four consecutive home runs. Bobby Lowe did it in 1894.

1940 — Harry Craft of Cincinnati connected for a home run, a triple, a double and two singles in seven at-bats to lead a 27-hit attack as the Reds pounded the Dodgers 23-2 at Brooklyn.

1950 — The Boston Red Sox beat the St. Louis Browns 29-4 at Fenway Park and set major league records for runs scored; most long hits, 17 (nine doubles, one triple and seven homers); most total bases, 60; most extra bases on long hits, 32; most runs over two games, 49; most hits in two games, 51, including 28 this game.

1969 — The New York Yankees’ No. 7 was retired on Mickey Mantle Day. A crowd of 60,096 came to Yankee Stadium to honor Mantle and watched the Yankees sweep the Chicago White Sox 3-1 and 11-2.

1975 — Detroit’s Tom Veryzer doubled with two out in the ninth to end Oakland’s Ken Holtzman’s no-hitter. Outfielder Bill North misjudged Veryzer’s hit but was not charged with an error. Holtzman retired the last hitter for a 4-0 victory.

1986 — In the longest 9-inning game by time in AL history Baltimore’s Lee Lacy went 4-for-6 with three home runs and six RBIs as the Orioles beat the New York Yankees 18-9. The game took 4:16 to complete.

1986 — Montreal’s Floyd Youmans pitched a one-hitter and hit his first major league home run as the Expos rout the Phillies 12-0. Youmans walked seven and allowed an infield single to Glenn Wilson in the second for the only hit.

1996 — Warren Morris hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give Louisiana State a 9-8 victory over Miami in the championship game of the College World Series.

2001 — Damion Easley became the ninth Detroit player to hit for the cycle as the Tigers beat Milwaukee 9-4. Easley hit an RBI double in the third inning, a three-run homer in Detroit’s six-run fifth, a single in the sixth and a triple in the eighth.

2005 — Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez became the youngest member of the 400-homer club when he hit a solo shot in the eighth inning of New York’s 12-3 win over Milwaukee.

2007 — Alfonso Soriano hit three home runs in the first four innings of the Chicago Cubs’ 9-1 win over Atlanta.

2010 — Stephen Strasburg exceeded expectations in his much-hyped major league debut, striking out 14 in seven innings to lead the Washington Nationals to a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Last year’s No. 1 overall draft pick allowed four hits, two earned runs and didn’t walk a batter, piling up the most strikeouts in a debut since J.R. Richard fanned 15 for Houston in 1971.

Finally:

Let’s all get out to the ball game and watch the lads “hit ‘em where they ain’t.”